July 13th, 2009

Today was the second day of ROP and some of the students arrived early for class! Yes, high schoolers early for class. Everyone finished their roll of film over the past week and they were eager to see their images. However, they quickly learned that processing is quite a process.

The funny silver tents with sleeves, the old fashioned timer, the blue rubber gloves, it all took some getting used to. They did an excellent�� job blindly loading the film to the spools in the film changing tents, carefully following the directions of their teachers as they moved from chemical to chemical and waiting as negatives dried. It was in the last few minutes of class that the first images were held up to the lights. It was hard work, but it was worth it and next week we go into the darkroom.

July 6th, 2009

Hi, I’m Erin. I’m a volunteer at Basho and I’m helping out with the ROP program this summer.

The first day was a fantastic success! The 10 teens from Centro Pedro Claver arrived today and we are thrilled to have them!

First our eager teachers introduced themselves and the teens expressed their interest in the medium and even shared ideas about things in their lives they would like to document.

The teachers, Grisha, Olga and Rebecca, were ready to immediately hand out cameras and get everybody started. After learning the parts of the camera, loading the film and covering the basics, we moved outside and started taking photos. They carefully planned and composed shots of each other, neighboring Olde Kensington buildings, a Mural Arts Tour trolley, their shoes, some trees….

The students got a ton of information in their first class; shutter speed, aperture, focus, depth of field, exposure, etc. It was a lot to take in, but once cameras were in hand, they seemed like naturals. They helped each other, asked great questions and were eager to take more photos over the next week.

July 1st, 2009

June 10th, 2009

Hi, my name is Grisha and I am a darkroom monitor here at Project Basho.

We are very happy to announce our photography outreach program will launch as a pilot program this summer. The 6-week introductory class is intended for local students ages 12-16 who want to explore their individual creativity and interest in photography.

The co-instructors, Rebecca, Olga, and I, have gotten together recently to plan our curriculum and are very excited about the program. This is an excellent opportunity for young photographers to learn the basics of black and white darkroom photography while providing a chance to build their portfolios for future studies. All equipment and materials will be provided.

Through demonstrations, lectures, and studio work, students will be introduced to the technical and aesthetic fundamentals of black-and-white photography. The first half of the course will focus on using a 35mm manual single lens reflex camera, developing film, and making prints.

Working from this technical foundation we will introduce students to portraiture, landscape, and still-life photography and encourage them to use their cameras to look at their surroundings more closely. Through seeing, making, and talking about photographs we hope the students will learn about how to view pictures as well as how to express themselves through art. The class will culminate in a gallery show of student work at some point in the fall.

May 15th, 2009

On the evening of April 5th a small group met to discuss a shared desire to bring a photography outreach program to our local community. The idea, in its more simple form, is to run a free photography class for local teens for six weeks during July and August.

Ambitiously, we hope to kick off our pilot program this summer. Three experienced teachers have volunteered their time and expertise for our first summer outreach session. The program is geared for students ages 12 to 16 and will encompass all aspects of traditional black and white photography including, how to use a camera, develop film, and make prints in the darkroom. Students will be encouraged to photograph their surroundings as well as objects and persons familiar to them. The six week session will culminate in a gallery show exhibiting the students’ photographs. Family, friends, and members of the community will be invited to attend and show support for the young photographers.

The Outreach Team is now working on connecting with students to participate in the pilot program and in raising funds to make our vision a reality. Project Basho will need the support of friends, sponsors, and the larger community to secure the cameras, film, and paper necessary to run the program. Together, we know we can run a viable outreach program that will positively impact youth in our community.